1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to methods of diagnosing inflammation sites in an individual.
2. Description of the Background Art
Inflammation occurs as a consequence of tissue damage. This tissue damage can result from microbial invasion, auto-immune processes, tissue infection, allograft rejection, or such hurtful or destructive external influences as heat, cold, radiant energy, electrical or chemical stimuli, or mechanical trauma. Whatever the cause or bodily site, the inflammatory response is quite similar, consisting of a complicated set of functional and cellular adjustments, involving the microcirculation, fluid shifts, and inflammatory cells (leukocytes). When tissue damage occurs, soluble chemical substances are elaborated which initiate the inflammatory response. The inflammatory response consists of a complex series of events which may be summarized as:
1. A local increase in bloodflow, with capillary dilatation and increased permeability to the fluid components of the blood;
2. A localized exudation of fluid at the site of injury, including the proteins of the plasma that normally leave the capillaries at a relatively low rate;
3. The exudation of leukocytes from the capillaries into the inflammation site. This exudate initially consists primarily of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, followed by monocytes, lymphocytes, and plasma cells. These leukocytes produce a variety of mediators that control the extent and duration of the inflammatory response, and have a series of receptors on their surfaces available to react to the host of chemical mediators and proteins that are part of the inflammatory fluid. Such leukocyte receptor-mediator or protein interactions are important in controlling leukocyte function within the inflammatory site.
The identification and characterization of the sites of inflammation are an important part of medical and veterinary practice. In the case of infectious causes of inflammation, it is frequently necessary to search for "hidden sites of inflammation" in individuals who present with clinical syndromes no more specific than fever and weight loss. Similarly, in patients with auto-immune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or allograft rejection as causes of inflammation, identification of the site(s) and extent of inflammation and its changes with therapy are an important part of medical and veterinary practice. Not surprisingly, then, much effort has been expended and many techniques developed in an attempt to assess the site(s) and extent of the inflammatory process. These techniques include conventional x-ray techniques, computerized axial tomographic scanning (CAT scanning), and a variety of radionuclide scans. (Sutton, A Textbook of Radiology and Imaging, 3rd Ed., Churchill Livingston, 1980; Clinical Nuclear Medicine, Maysey et al., ed., W. B. Sanders, 1983.) Examples of radionuclide scans which have been utilized are:
1. .sup.67 Gallium, which when injected into an animal or a human binds to the plasma protein transferrin and tends to localize at sites of chronic inflammation.
2. .sup.111 Indium labeled endogenous granulocytes, which when re-injected into the host will tend to accumulate at the site of inflammation; and
3. Radiolabeled chelates which pass into the extracellular fluid and can possibly then accumulate at such sites of fluid accumulation as those associated with inflammation;
4. Thallium scan or so-called first pass radionuclide angiogram to assess areas of increased blood flow.
All of these techniques, on occasion, may provide useful information, but are not adequate because of both false positive and false negative results. A more sensitive and specific means of delineating the anatomical localization of sites of inflammation, particularly one that could be performed serially to assess the response to therapy, is greatly to be desired.